Resources for Developing PA Programs

Join PAEA

PAEA offers two types of membership for developing programs:

Institutional Colleague membership is an ideal choice for PA programs not yet accredited, but who wish to receive benefits and participate in PAEA activities. Institutional colleague membership allows the institution’s faculty and staff access to many of the same benefits as full PAEA member programs.

Institutional/CASPA Colleague membership is an ideal choice for PA programs not yet accredited, but who wish to receive benefits and participate in PAEA activities, as well as the Central Application Service for PAs (CASPA), and whose provisional accreditation is scheduled to occur within one year. Click here for benefits and fee information.

The CASPA application cycle runs April-March annually. Benefits are the same as institutional colleague membership, with the addition of CASPA participation.

Both membership options can be readily converted to full PAEA membership once provisional accreditation is granted.

The following membership benefits are not available to Institutional Colleague members:

Assessment Exams

We offer two exam programs for PA programs. The PACKRAT® (Physician Assistant Clinical Knowledge Rating and Assessment Tool) is a self-assessment tool that has been in operation for over 20 years, with new versions released every November.

The End of Rotation™ exams are offered in the areas of internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, women’s health, emergency medicine, general surgery, and psychiatry & behavioral medicine. These exams are validated, peer-reviewed online exams. A new set of exams is released every July.

The End of Curriculum™ exam will be an objective, standardized evaluation of a student’s medical knowledge as one component of their readiness for graduation. This exam will be nationally standardized. The first version will be released in January 2020.

Liaison Organizations

ARC-PA is the accrediting agency that protects the interests of the public and PA profession by defining the standards for PA education and evaluating PA educational programs within the territorial United States to ensure their compliance with those standards.

AAPA is the national professional society for physician assistants. AAPA advocates and educates on behalf of the profession and the patients PAs serve. It also works to ensure the professional growth, personal excellence, and recognition of PAs.

About PAEA®

The Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) is the only national organization representing PA educational programs. PAEA works to ensure quality PA education through the development and distribution of educational services and products specifically geared toward meeting the emerging needs of PA programs, the PA profession, and the health care industry.